Cyclists in Nottingham will once again be able to cross the River Trent following the re-opening of Wilford suspension bridge.
The bridge, which connects The Meadows and West Bridgford over the River Trent, has been closed since July 2008, after structural surveys revealed major work was needed to restore it to a safe standard for public use.
£1.9m has been spent repairing and refurbishing the 100-year-old bridge, which was due to be officially re-opened by Hugh McClintock, chairman of cycling group Pedals.
National Grid, whose gas pipeline is also carried by the bridge, and Nottingham City and Notts County councils, all contributed toward the repair costs and have will help pay for ongoing maintenance costs.
Earlier this week, the final touches were being put to the bridge works, including the removal of graffiti.
"We're pleased that at long last we can reopen the bridge," Fraser Pithie, senior operations manager at Severn Trent Water, told the Nottingham Evening Post.
"We appreciate that it has been a frustrating wait for people, particularly with the delays we encountered when it became clear the repair work was going to be even more comprehensive and costly than we had first envisaged.
"While the bridge isn't primarily intended for pedestrian use, we know it has become popular with the local community, and we're pleased to be able to once more offer the bridge as a crossing route for walkers and cyclists."
Mr McClintock led an online petition calling for the bridge to be reopened as soon as possible and said he was delighted people could now enjoy using it again.
"It is excellent news, after more than 18 months, to get the future of the bridge secured," he said.
"It is great to get past all the delays and ups and downs. The real problem is that it has not been looked after over the years.
"There were lots of problems that could have been nipped in the bud but they were left and the damage was far greater than they realised. And now hopefully that lesson has been learned."
Does this count as social media?
But down the line it can put a big dent in its resale value which ups leasing costs and the amount of cash an owner is throwing at their status...
Only reading the headline on the homepage, not the rest of the article, but I only ride mountain bikes and I still get close passed...
Fair enough, personal experience may trump (not that one) theory. However, the bonking I have experienced has been due to lack of carbs. Your point...
Agreed, but he was still right to publicise the event. The police, if they're anything like Lancashire, will do nothing at all.
mdavidfrodo?
How can anybody reject the beauty of that? It's a wonderful mix of modern tech yet absolutely functional.
in the UK we have policing which to a greater or lesser extent relies on assistance from members of the public......
Just wanted to share a quick thank you to everyone who helped out in this thread....
So...don't cycle on it. Lots of other routes around that area. Source: I used to work there.